The Dead Romantics begins with Florence Day, a ghostwriter for famous romance authors. After a messy break-up, she no longer believes in love, making her job significantly harder. After weeks of writer’s block, her editor, a tall, charming man named Benji, refuses to give her an extension on the book. Feeling defeated, she goes to a bar with her best friend and to make things worse, encounters her ex, as well as her editor. The final blow is when she receives the news of her father’s passing. She returns to her hometown town where her eccentric funeral parlour-dwelling family lives, and whose vibe resembles that of the Addams Family. Unlike the rest of their family, Florence and her dad share a gift: the ability to communicate with and assist ghosts in their unfinished business. Once she enters her family’s funeral parlour, she sees something completely unexpected — the ghost of her editor is standing in front of her and needs her assistance.

This is such a unique take on a romance novel. It completely took me by surprise. It explores dark themes like death in such a heartwarming, humorous way. I love all the characters because they’re so relatable and it has that sarcastic sense of humour I’m drawn to. I’m not usually a romance fan, but I loved this story as it wasn’t the main focus. To me, Florence’s journey of love and self-discovery was so special and real. This is a book I’ll be revisiting if I’m feeling down.